If you’re workshop based you'll have to consider insurance for the premises, tools and machinery, and contents too.

If you’re a mobile welder fabricator with welding workshop premises you'll need cover for work on and off site, and your van insurance needs to cover carriage of gas.

Public Liability Insurance

When working with heat, there are real dangers to you, the general public and property.

Public liability insurance for welders covers damage or injury you cause to members of the public and property. It meets your legal liability to pay compensation and any related legal costs.

If you work mostly on site as a subcontractor, the main contractor will expect you to have PL. They’ll want to see your hot work liability insurance policy schedule to check the risks you're covered for.

Standard cover levels are £1 million, £2 million and £5 million.

PL is usually bought as a package with EL, so you could get a combined liability quote for steel fabricators, for instance.

Employers Liability Insurance

If you have employee(s) then employers liability insurance is compulsory. It’s designed to pay compensation and legal costs if a worker falls sick, is injured or dies through work.

There are specific risks associated with the welding trade. As well as physical injury, workers can develop severe lung disease from breathing fumes and then sue for compensation.

ELI is designed to help protect their interests and your business from crippling losses which could result.

Motortrade Insurance for Welders

You need to inform your insurer if you repair any form of transport and specify the types of vehicles you work on - car, tipper wagon, bulldozer, cement truck - as a general welding or blacksmith's liability policy won't usually cover repairing road going vehicles.

If you carry out car welding repairs, your policy may need to include motor vehicle repair risks.

A condition could be that petrol tanks are removed before carrying out any hot work.